eaton



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. W. EATON.

HYDRAULIG ELEVATOR.

Patented Feb. 17,1891" l il , Q & I

' ll w x 4 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. W. EATON.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR. Np. 446,620. Patented Feb. 17 891.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. W. EATON. HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

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ll-IOMAS IV. EATIYON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE .tATON &

' PRINCE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,620, dated February17, 1891. Application filed September 20, 1889- Serial No. 324,553. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. EATON, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Hydraulic Elevators, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention applies to that class of h vdraulic elevators wherein thewater-supplyinlet and the discharge-outlet valves are mounted upon acommon stem and are actuatedin one direction or the other by apistonhead secured upon the same stem and located in a cylinderadjoining the water-passage in which said valves are placed. Theinvention relates more particularly to the water-passages and auxiliaryvalve,whereby said valve-actuating piston is controlled by the operatorupon the elevator-car, and also to means for automatically stopping theflow of water to and from the main cylinder at the conclusion of thelimit of travel by the car in either direction.

The nature of inyimprovement will be fully understood from mydescription given below when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which latter- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthat portion of an elevator to which my invention relates. Fig. 2 is aplan of the parts shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section upon theline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section upon the line 4 4 ofFig. 1. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail sections of the auxiliary valve andits water-passages, showing the different positions of said valve. Fig.8 shows a modified construction of the automatic cutoff valve.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures.

In said drawings, A represents the pipe leading from the source ofwater-supply, and B the finalwater-discharge. These bot-h connect withthe pipe 0, in which is placed the main valve consisting of heads a h c,mounted upon a common stem D. From the pipe O, between the connectionswith the inlet and discharge, is a passage E, leading toward theelevator-cylinder J, and the heads a, b, and a control the entrance ofthe water into this passage E, and also the exit thereof from thepassage E into pipe Cwhen on its way to discharge. hen in the positionshown at Figs. 3 and at, the water flows from the inlet into passage E,as indicated by the arrows; but if said valve be moved to the left untilthe head 0 occupies the position now occupied by the head I) theincoming of fresh water would be shut off and freedom would be given tothe water from the cylinder to flow to the discharge. These movements ofthe valve are obtained by admitting water under pressure to one side orthe other of a head F, secured upon the same stem with said valve andlocated in a small cylinder f, adjoining the pipe O, as clearly shown.This head F at one limit of the stroke strikes buffers f, and the end ofthe stem D strikes a buiferf at the other end of the stroke.

For the purpose of controlling the water by which the head F is actuatedI employ an auxiliary or multiple piston-valve consisting of series ofthree piston heads G G G mounted upon a stem G which is connected to thecar of the elevator and under the control of the operator thereof. Thisvalve is placed in the valve-chamber H at the side of the cylinder f.Leading from the valve-chamber H to the cylinder f are three passages gg g located as shown. Said valve-chamber is also provided with twodischarge-ports h h and with two water-inlets t' 2', also located asshown and connected to the discharge and feed pipes, respectively.

lVith the construction above described, if it is desired to raise theelevator-car the auxiliary valve is moved to the position shown at Fig.4, which admits water to one side of piston F through ports t" and g andallows it to flow out from the other side of said piston through ports 9h, the central port g being closed. This results in bringing piston. Fand the main valve to the position shown at Figs. 3 and 4, and in whichwater enters from the source of supply A and passes to the maincylinder. To lower the car and move the main valve to a position inwhich it will give exit to the water without opening the inlet, theauxiliary valve is moved to the location illustrated at Fig. 0, in whichwater is admitted to the piston F through ports 1'9 and discharged fromthe other side thereof through 9 h, the central passage being whollyclosed.

This carries piston. F to the extreme of its stroke in one direction, asindicated at said figure, and thereby the main-valve head 0 is carriedbeyond or partially beyond passage E.

If the car is to be stopped at the end of its upward run or before itreaches that point, the auxiliary valve is moved by the operator to theposition shown in Fig. 5. This opens ports 1' g, so that water can comein thereat and against the right-hand side of piston i and closes inlet'i, and also shuts port so that water cannot pass either way through thesame. The active pressure from ports 2' Q will now carry piston E to aposition midway of its cylinder and until it closes the center passage,such movement being permitted by the exit of the water at g and 71 untilthe piston so closes g. In this movement of the piston F the main valveis moved so that its head 1) lies between the supply A and passage E,thereby shutting off the entrance of water to the elevator-cylinderwithout, however, opening the main discharge.

To stop the car at the end or midway of its downward run, the auxiliaryvalve is moved to the position given at Fig. 7, in which ports 1 g areopen for the admission of water and ports g h for its discharge. Thisalso brings piston F to its central position and shuts off the water atthe main valve.

For the purpose of stopping the car at the upper and lower landingsautomatically, and thus guarding against accidents due to oversight orforgetfulness upon the part of the operator, I employ, preferably, inconnection with the apparatus above described, the following devices:lnterposed in the water-passages leading from the main. valve to theele-- vatorcylinder is an automatic balanced valve, consisting of theheads L and M, mounted upon the stem K and located in a cylinder N,communicating at one side with the main passageE and at the other sidewith the pipe j, leading to the cylinder J. The heads L and M aresufficiently far apart to span the mouths of both pipe E and pipe j, sothat when they are in their normal position the water may flowuninterrnptedly back and forth through said pipes. The stem K extendsbeyond the cylinder N and is connected by an arm on to the cross-head 0,carried by the piston P of cylinder J, and is supported in properbearings a at intervals throughout its length. The arm m-fits the stemloosely, so that it may move along the latter without actuating the sameuntil it strikes one or the other of the collars 0, carried by the stem.\Vhen contact with these collars takes place, the stem and the heads Land M are of course moved with the cross-head, resulting in placing oneor the other of said heads between the pipe E and pipe 7', and causing acessation of the flow from one to the other of said pipes and a stoppageof the piston 1. For purposes hereinafter to be explained, the heads Land M are provided with passages e, extending through them; but saidpassages are guarded by flexible flaps V upon the inner sides of theheads, so that water can pass through the same in one direction only.Disks \V are preferably present to support said flaps. The opposingpressures exerted upon this valve when it is not in its normal positionare equalized by the waterpassage S, connecting the extreme ends of thevalve-cylinder, as shown. This shut-off valve is also automatic inreturning to its normal position. Thus as soon as the operating valve isreversed a limited flow is started through the passages e of one or theother of the headsL or M, which soon causes the main current to conformto the changed position of the operating-valve and allows the piston Pto retreat, thereby carrying arm m away from contact with the collar 0and leaving the valve freeto be moved back by the power of a weightedlever B, pivqted atr and pressing against a collar 19 upon the stem K.Two of these levers are provided, one for moving the valve in eachdirection, and they are so placed as to be lifted by the'stem each timethe valve is carried from its normal position by the piston P. \Vhenthey have returned the valve to its normal position, they cease action,the weights being then sustained by stops (1.

The automatic cut-off in shutting off the water always moves against thecurrent-that is to say, in a direction contrary to the direction of thecurrent. Thus, supposing the cut off to be moved from the position shownat Fig. 3, until the head L stands between the ports E and j, (thisbeing the movement imparted at the end of the upward run in an elevatorconstructed in the manner shoWn,) said head L moves against the incomingwater from pipe E. If, while the currentis moving away from the cylindertoward the discharge, (the same being the opposite direction from thatindicated at said figure) the cutoff be moved to bring head M betweenthe ports E and j, said head will be moved againstthe outgoing water. Vhen thus shut 01f in either direction by the cut-off, the water willremain stationary until the pressure is reversed by the reversalof themain valve, when the openings c in the heads will enable some of thewater to pass through the heads in the direction to which the pressurehas been changed. This permits in the case first supposed an outwardflow from j to E through the ports of the heads, thus starting the mainpiston in its retreat, and in the other case it permits the flow throughthe heads from E to j, thus starting the main piston again forward.

Instead of balancing the automatic cutoff valve by a connectingwater-passage, as S, the inclosing cylinder may be lengthened and heads10 be applied to the valve-stem, as indicated at Fig. 8. The collars 0are adj ustable upon the stcm K. by means of set-screws, as shown. Thisadjustment allows of the positioning of the collars so as to stop thecar at any point in its line of travel.

r I clain1 5']. In a hydraulic clc\-'ator,thc continuation, with themain valve, of the piston F fornioving said valve and the auxiliaryvalve and water-passages g g 9 inlets "i 21, and discharge-ports 71 and7t, substantially as speci fied.

2. The combination, with the main, valve and its actuating-piston I, ofthe auxiliary valve having three heads for controlling the Water actingupon said piston, the three \vater-passages connecting thepiston-chamber with the valve-chamber, and suitable Waterinlets andsuitable water-outlets leading-to and from the latter chamber,substantially as specified.

The combination, with the piston F and its chamber, of a valve forcontrolling the Water acting upon said piston, suitable passagesconnecting the valvc-chan'iber with the ends of the piston-chamber, anda central passage between said chambers, adapted to be closed by thepiston, substantially specified.

4. The combination of the piston F and its cylinder with thecontrolling-valve and its cylinder, said cylinders being connected bysuitable passages, one of which is a central passage adapted to beclosed by the piston,

i substantially as specified.

THOMAS W. EATON. Witnesses:

II. M. MUNDAY, ICDW. S. EVARTS.

